Add bleach, vinegar and sugar to the water Another trick many florists use to keep flowers fresher for longer is adding bleach, vinegar and sugar to the water. The bleach acts as a germicide, killing any bacteria in the water.
The vinegar helps inhibit the growth of bacteria and keeps your flowers fresher longer. If you don't have vinegar and/or sugar, lemon-lime soda mixed with the water will do the same thing.
Mix one tablespoon of vinegar with one cup of water. Add one and a half tablespoons of baking soda plus one tablespoon of dish soap and one tablespoon of vegetable oil (or any other cooking oil). Stir this mixture into one gallon of water, and spray it on your roses' foliage.
Spraying any vinegar on plants and flowers will eradicate them, so avoid doing that. Vinegar is not selective, and it does not differentiate between weeds and desirable plant life.
Dissolve 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar per quart (liter) of warm water. When you fill the vase, make sure the cut stems are covered by 3-4 inches (7-10 centimeters) of the prepared water. The sugar nourishes the plants, while the vinegar inhibits bacterial growth.
Be aware that full-strength vinegar will kill plant foliage and ultimately plants when directly applied, so do not spray or pour into plants or grasses that you want to keep. Spray directly on ants and problem insects at full strength.
Though vinegar can be fatal to many common plants, others, like rhododendrons, hydrangeas and gardenias, thrive on acidity which makes a bit of vinegar the best pick-me-up. Combine one cup of plain white vinegar with a gallon of water and use the next time you water these plants to see some amazing results.
Note: It's not necessary to spray vinegar directly on your plants to deter pests. In fact, this can damage or kill plants, especially if you're using large amounts of vinegar. If you do use apple cider vinegar on your plants, dilute it generously with water.
To keep cut flowers fresh longer (or even perk up the ones that have drooped) add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar to a vase of water. The vinegar will act to destroy some of the bacteria and your cut flowers will last days longer than just plain water.
While the ingredients vary depending on the manufacturer, most contain sugar to feed the flowers, acid to maintain the pH levels of the water, and a bit of bleach to reduce the bacteria and fungi in the vase water. All three help extend the life of the flowers.
A Cornell University researcher demonstrated that a mixture developed for powdery mildew—1 tablespoon of baking soda mixed in a gallon of water, with a bit of horticultural oil or liquid soap added to help it cling to the leaves—is also effective for reducing the spread of black spot.
Those preserving cut flowers with vinegar are essentially lowering pH, which in turn, increases the acidity. This increase helps to create an environment that is less suitable for the growth of bacteria, which is often the culprit in the speed of decline in freshness of the flowers.
Epsom Salt for Roses
The recommendation for applying Epsom salt to existing rose bushes is to either mix 1/2 cup of Epsom salts into the soil around the rose bush and water well or dissolve 1/2 cup of the salts in water and use the solution to water the soil around the rose bush.
The sugar feeds the flowers, prolonging life, while the vinegar creates a favorable pH balance. The combination of sugar and vinegar works in lieu of flower food, so whether you get a bouquet of flowers as a gift or you're picking fresh flowers from the garden, keep them living longer with this simple home recipe.
Baking Soda.
This can act as a fungicide. Dilute 1 teaspoon to 1 quart of warm, soapy water and spray on your roses' leaves. The baking soda will treat and prevent diseases like black spot, while the soap helps it stick, and is also mildly effective at smothering many insects pests.
Insecticidal soaps may provide control of a variety of insect and mite pests of roses including aphids, thrips, scales and the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae).
Insecticidal soap and horticultural oil are also effective against rose slugs. Other insecticidal sprays that are labeled for homeowner use include acephate, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, lambda cyhalothrin, permethrin, or spinosad. Sprays should thoroughly cover both upper and lower leaf surfaces.
When equal amounts were given orally and compared, it took less acetic acid to kill rats in the laboratory test that it did glyphosate. The acetic acid in even household vinegar was MORE toxic than Roundup!
Household vinegar has its uses in the garden, but it can kill plants. Water gives life to plants, and you can't find a substitute for it. If you were to give a plant vinegar instead of water for any length of time, the plant would die.
Does vinegar kill aphids? Vinegar contains acetic acid, and spraying a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water on aphids will kill them. Unfortunately, it will also kill or damage your plants, so I don't recommend using a vinegar spray for aphid control in the garden.
But here's another lesser-known trick: Spraying hairspray on fresh (or dried) flowers will prolong their lives and keep them upright even longer.
Did you know that just by adding a couple teaspoons of sugar to the water in your flowers' vase, you can extend their life? It may be because sugar gives the flowers nutrients that they're not getting now that they're no longer in the ground.
Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and two tablespoons of sugar to your vase of water. Stir thoroughly. Sugar is like plant food, and vinegar eliminates bacteria that can make flowers wilt prematurely.